The UK government has revealed plans to provide free abortion services in England for women from Northern Ireland, which has some of Europe’s most restrictive laws on terminations.

The government announced a change of policy in June in an attempt to head off a Tory rebellion in a vote on the Queen’s speech. Dozens of Conservatives had suggested to whips that they would vote on an amendment spearheaded by the Labour MP Stella Creasy to give Northern Irish women free access to termination.

The government’s abortion commitment is good news. But it’s not enough

As long as women from Northern Ireland have to travel for terminations they are still hugely disadvantaged. We need the law at home to change too

Elizabeth Nelson
Thursday 29 June 2017

Abortion for women in Northern Ireland has become a high stakes issue in British politics for perhaps the first time ever, potentially exposing the first faultlines in the young Tory-DUP agreement to maintain a weakened Conservative government. Following Stella Creasy’s attempt to amend the Queen’s speech, the government has offered a new commitment to fund abortions for Northern Irish women on the NHS in England and Wales. It’s a welcome step and will potentially have an immediate impact on widening access to basic healthcare for UK citizens who have long been denied this right.

Ministers announce funding for NI women to have abortions in England, in attempt to head off Tory revolt in Queen’s speech vote
Stella Creasy

Jessica Elgot and Henry McDonald
Thursday 29 June 2017

A decades-long struggle to give Northern Irish women access to terminations on the NHS in mainland Britain was unexpectedly won in the space of 24 hours on Thursday, as the UK government dramatically changed its policy in an attempt to head off a damaging Tory rebellion on the Queen’s speech.

Dozens of Conservative MPs were understood to have expressed to Tory whips their support for an amendment by the Labour MP Stella Creasy to allow Northern Irish women access to NHS-funded abortions in Great Britain.